Spring wheel



SPRING AWHEEL Filed Ausk10 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet l #wel A TTURNEYS Sept. 1s, 1923.

R. H. PLASS SPRING WHEEL Filed Aug; 1o, 1920 :s sheets-sheet 2 Z2 l Z6 VMM 4J. @0555i er i M 7% SPRING WHEEL Filed Aug. 10. 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 mwdwym Y A TTOH/VEYS y RoBnnrH. r'LAss, or Urrea MGNTCLAIR, New JERSEY.

SPRING WHEEL.

' .Application filed. August 10, 1920. Serial No. 402,647.

To all'wlwmt mag/"concern Be it known that I, ROBERT H. PLAss, a citizen of the United States,v residing in Upper Montclair, county ofEsseX, and State `of New Jersey,-have invented certain new and useful Improvements in'Spring l/Vheels,

fof which the following' tis a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in spring wheels and has for its' object to provide a wheelof this character which will be positiveand efficient in operation, and which will consist of but few parts, thereby simplifying its constructionand reducing the'cost of manufacture thereof;

VThe invention further has for its object to provide a spring wheel having a hub and a ioating rim so connectedlto one another that the rim cannot rotate concentrically with respect tothe hub while being capable of a limited radial or "eccentric movement with respect thereto.

The invention further hasfor its-object to provide a spring wheel provided with means for absorbing sudden-shocks and jars whereby the'vehicle will operatein a smooth manner, and inwhich the several co-acting movable parts will operate with minimum friction and without noise.

' Other objects will in'part be obvious an in part pointed out hereinafter.

- VIn the accompanying drawingsV forming part ofthis specication, wherein Ihave Vshown a preferred embodiment of my. inven- Y tion for the purpose of illustrating the.' principle thereof Figure 1 is a side'elevation of a'spri'ng wheel constructed in accordance with and embodying my invention,l the cover plate and outer flange of the floatingl -rim being removed; ,l f Y A V Figure 2 is an enlarged detail sectional viewV taken substantiallyV on the line II-H of Figure-1;

Figure?) is a detail view, partly in section, of a part of the disc and some of the elements associated therewith,andjV Figure .l is a ViewV similar to Figure 1 Y illustrating the position` of the lparts when relativel movement takes place between the hub and the floatingrim.

Referringto the drawings, the wheel inchicles ahub 1 provided atits inner end .with

'an outwardlyfextending annular flange 2 tov` which a.A brake drum 3 issecured as by vbolts 4. A" disc 5 havinganannular ange V6 is mounted'upon the hub and'issecured lthereto by a nut 7. shoulder 8 on the hub, whereby it is held 4formed of solidV rubber,

The disc engages a in spaced relation to the flange 2 of the hub.

shoulder 9 on the disc 5 the like, which serves as a stop to limit the Yradial or eccentric movement of the floating rim as hereinafter described. The disc 5 is provided with a plurality of sets of radiallyextending arms 11, 11 and 12, 12 arranged in pairs and having their outer or free ends spaced from and registering with one another, the arms 12, 12 being longer than the arms 11, 11. perforations formed inthe outer ends of the arms 11, 11 and studs 1-l are securedin a similar manner to the outer ends of the arms is, i2

.The floating rim, which is preferably formed of sheet metal, is shown as comprising an annular rim portion 15 provided with outer and inner annular flanges 16 and 17, the fiange`17 being of greater width than the flange 16 and slidably positioned between the disc 5 and the liange 2 of the hub 1. Sur rounding the iange 2 and interposed between the flangeA 17-of the Heating rimv and the brake drum 3 -is an annular packin ring 18 to which is secured pack-ing 19, olf any suitable material. The outer edge of Studs 13 are secured within the packing ring 'flares outwardly from the V packing 19 to form a V-shaped recess within which is positioned a ring .20 preferably and an endless leather-.covered `spring 21 which serve to press the packing against the flange of the floating rim and to form a dust and oil proof sliding joint therewith. Mounted upon the rim portion 15 of the floating rim is a substantially U-shaped, tread-supporting member 22 having inwardly-extending flanges 23 Y engaging the rim portion 15. rllhe member 22 is secured to the floating rim by means of clamps 24" engaging the flanges 23 and secured to the rim by bolts 25. Each clamp is securely held in proper position by havingl Y its ends engage the plates 26 secured to the member 22 and by having a projection27 formed on its under surface which engages a correspondingly shaped annular depression 28 formed in the rim portion 15 of the floating rim. The tread-supporting member -22 upon which a` tread 29 of any suitable maA terial is mounted is thus firmly held against circumferential 'or' lateral movement relative to the floating rim. Securedto the inner .surfaces of the flanges Vof the floating rim are afpluralityof pairs of registering socketsI 30 within which are secured studs 31 positioued in radial register with the studs 13.

Pivotally supported at their outer vends upon each setY of studs 13 and 31 are two y pairs of oppositely disposed, collapsible and v' extensible links 32 and 33, the ends ot' which are pivotally supported upon studs 34 Vand f3g-respectively. These several pairs of links serve to` connect the 'floating rimi to theV hub and -to permit relative radial movement between thefrim and thehub. Pivotally supported upon vthe studs 1lare bell crank levers 36, the arms 37. and 38 of which eX- v jtendoutwardly from the hub of the wheel. Upon the outer ends of the arms 37 yare sey AVcured studs 39 upon which links ai() are pivotally mounted Vthe other ends of the links being pivotally supported upon-the studs Y3e and 35. VPivotally supportedupon the outer Y 4ends of the arms `38of the bell crank levers Yarefeye-bolts 41, 41, the eye-boltscarried byV ltheladjacent arms constituting supporting means for tension springs 4-2, the oppositeV rends of which-are secured to the eye-bolts by nuts43 and est. The springs serve tol-pre- `vent relative rotary movement betweenthe Vhub f and :the floating rim. Y

VNThe innermost link ofi each pair of links 32 ispreferablyprovided with a longitudinally'eztending.portion'flto which one end of/anV equalizing link 46 ispivotally -connect -ed.Y The Vother ends'of the links 46 areipivotally--iniounted upon av stud L17' normally-oc- Vcupy-in ,"-aposition concent-ric witlrthe cenouter endloffthe studs? isaflanged cap 18 pressed outwardly by acoill spring feg'intof ,-engageinent with theinner surface of a cover plate50,=secured to the flange 16 ofthe float- Y. "and oil ,proofjoint.. As thefcover plate 50 @and the packing 19 form oil tightjoints with thelioating rim, the interipr of the wheel [may bepartially or. entirely filled with oil, ifdesired, in order to maintain the parts Y. properly lubricated. Thelinks 46 and their -associatedeparts may be omitted if desired, 1in connection-withthe front wheels, and in cars Iof comparatively light weight they may ',.alsobe omitted from. the rear wheels 4Under normal conditions the several parts n -several sets of collapsible and extensible Vof-theYwheel assume the positionsshown in Eigurel inwhich-the-links 32, 33 of the links 1 are Vpositioned `uniformly with respect -to-'onevanother andthe several springs 4:2 I are 'equally contracted, the inner `ends ofthe equalizing levers 46 being A,positioned centrally with respect to the hub 1. If, owing tothe Vunevenness ofthe road,vor 'for any fother reason, the iiolating'rim4 of the wheel. is forced upwardlyrwith respect to the hub, or

- the v hub is forced downwardly l'with respect Vwill be practically notA stretching `of the ployed. Y Y

to the rim, the Vpairs of links 32 and 33 above the horizontal, diameter of thev riniwill expand more or less while the pairsV of links Y Y, below such diameterrwill collapsemore orY less, depending` upontlieirLposit-ions relative to the-road, and in Figure 4 the positions as suine'dby the several parts of the wheel, un-

Y der such conditions, are showmfor one position of the Wheel relative tothe road. The Y* Vcooperating niovementssof theseveralsets oflinks 32, 33, are assisted bythe connect- Y ing links 46, when suchlinksare employed,

the pivotal connection j4 of i-threyinner ,ends i thereof shifting its'fposition with respect to the center oftheliub,` as indicated in `Figgnire 1. 'As the links32 .and 33 of the several ,sets are thus,- actuated theflinks -lO lwill, beactuatedto cause the several bell crankilevers 36 to be rocked to av greater or less extent'. VThe springs 42 will Vthus be causedtoexpand orY stretch, thusincreasingvthe tension thereof,

soy,

the j nciease-Lin'tension'of 4each spring -de- -v pending, of course, uponrthelextent of mover,

nent of the bellfcrank levers to -which it is secured., The springsabove thehorizontal will stretch toi-a greater A degree thanthe springs below the same; 'lfthe-wheelis inthe Y nposition shown in Figure when the upward movement offthefloatingrim occurs there Y lowermost spring for gslight Y-upwardV-movements ofthe-rim. Byv reason-.of the coLaction of the springs and-tliesetsof links 32 and 33 therimisprevented from rotating concentrically with respect toV the hub, but

is free to move 'radiallyandeccentrically with respect thereto toi a limited extent.

absorb any suddenshockgorjolt-to, which the wheel is subjectedfthus insuring smooth running of the-vehicle'. It-is offcourser'understood *that v.several {par-ts 5- of the iv-heel .operatel in; a similar Vmannento1that 'above describediif the floating rim-'moves down-f ward With respecttov thehubby reason of onthe road. r, r Y i y A f i .Y Y While I have illustrated and, vdescribed my invention in connectionwithV a preferred embodiment thereof,it will be understood lthat Vof said linkages to movementV o nan arc of a circle describedY about avcentery common ito said points, and resilientmeanslgjconnected to said linkages but, freeV from'lconnectionfto Y said rim for biasing said'- linkagesto aV Y position s itwhieh therim iscentralrtothe hub. Y

i'io

the wheel droppingY-iiito a'depressionior rut ian Y straining a point Vvon each of said pairs ofV toggle linkages to movement on an are of a circle described about acenter Acommon to said points, land resilient means connected tosaid linkages but free Vfrom connection to said rim orbiasino said linka res to a Y .y 1. 1 b. J position at vvnicn the rim 1s central to tne Y hub.

. In combination7 a rim, 'a hub, a plurality of pairs of toggle linkages for assoi e ciating the rim with the hub, the linkages of each ot' said pairs being oppositely disposed toward eachother and having conimon pivotal points on said rim and saidV hub, resilient means for biasing the rim to a position centralfto the hub and a plurality of members pivotally associated with a. link of each of said pairs of toggle linkages, said members having theiropposite ends pivotally associatedy With each other in a common point.

et. In combination7 a rim, aAV hub, a plnrality of pairs of toggle linkages for associating the rim with the hub, the linkages of each oi' said pairs being oppositely disposed toward each other and having common pivotal points on said rim and said hub, a plurality of members pivotally associated with a. link ot each of said pairs of toggle linkages, said members having their opposite ends pivotally associated with each other in a common point, and resilient means connected between the joints of adjacent toggle linkages for biasing said linkages to a collapsed position.

5. In combination, arim, a hul), a plurality of pairs ot'toggle linkages for associating the rim with the hub, the linkages of each of said pairs being oppositely disposed toward each other andhaving commonpivotal points on said rim and said hub7 means for constraining a point on each of said pairs of toggle linkages to movement on an arc of a circle Common to all of said points, andresilient means :for biasing said toggle linkages to a collapsed position, said means comprising a spring, and link mechanism pivotally associated with the hub Jfor connecting the ends of said spring to adjacent. joints of adjacent toggle linkages.

In testimony whereof I have alliXed my signature to this specification.

' Y ROBERT H. PLASS. 

